For the Prevention of Youth

Homelessness in Canada

Stephen Gaetz Canadian Observatory on Homelessness

Melanie Redman A Way Home Canada

Kaitlin Schwan Canadian Observatory on Homelessness

A ROADMAP

Part 1

The CONTEXT

Youth homelessness Prevention Framework

2009

PREVENTION!

Coming of Age report

Without a Home

2011

Boys and Girls Clubs of

Calgary

2014 2015 2016 2018

Prevention Framework

Wales report

What would it take?Alberta

strategy

2017

ROADto

PREVENTION

Youth Rights Right Now!

Reaching HomeCanada’s Homelessness Strategy

Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social DevelopmentAdam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary – Housing and Urban Affairs

Announcement of REACHING HOME – Canada’s new homelessness strategyJune 11, 2018

Part 2

The Groundwork

12 communities

114Youth

Participants 7 provinces & territories

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?Youth Across Canada Speak Out on

Youth Homelessness Prevention

17 focus groups

Focus Group Questions

• What would have prevented you from experiencing homelessness?

• What kinds of programs or services would help prevent homelessness for young people who are at risk?

• Who should be involved in preventing homelessness for young people?

• What do you want to tell the Canadian government about preventing youth homelessness?

KEY FINDINGSYouth’s Perspectives on Prevention

+ We are waiting too long to intervene

+ Causes and consequences of youth homelessness are mutually reinforcing, trapping youth

+ Inequity, discrimination, and colonialism

+ Staff behaviours and attitudes

+ Systems failures are key drivers of homelessness for youth, and where prevention could be most effective

We’re waiting too long

Structures & systems trapping youth

Inequity, discrimination, & colonialism

Staff behaviours & attitudes

Systems failures as key drivers of homelessness

International Scan of Evidence

Part 3

The CHANGEwe need!

Prevention

Housing and

Supports

Emergency Response

Responding to youth homelessness in Canada

Emergency Response

Where we want to get to …

PreventionHousing

and

Supports

Emergency Response

Victoria

July 24, 2018

Part 4

The PREVENTIONof

Youth Homelessness

Prevention as a Fusion Policy issue

Typology of Youth Homelessness Prevention

Work upstream to address STRUCTURAL FACTORS

Structural Prevention

1. Poverty Reduction

2. Increasing the Availability of Affordable Housing

3. Addressing Inequity and Discrimination

4. Structural Prevention of Homelessness for Indigenous Youth

5. Breaking the Link between Youth Homelessness, Migration, and Displacement

6. Preventing and Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences

7. Promoting Social Inclusion for All Youth

8. Youth Homelessness Prevention Legislation & Policy

How Public Systems Can be Reformed to Prevent Youth Homelessness

Systems prevention of youth homelessness involves identifying and addressing policies, programs, and practices within public systems that create barriers to young people’s access to supports, and which expose young people to the risk of homelessness.

1. Reintegration Supports for Youth: Facilitating Effective Transitions from Public Institutions and Systems

2. Enhancing Youths’ Ability to Equitably Access and Benefit from Public Systems, Supports, and Entitlements

3. Improving Youths’ Experiences & Outcomes in Public Systems

How Public Systems Can be Reformed to Prevent Youth Homelessness

a. SYSTEMS PREVENTION

Reintegration Supports for Youth: Facilitating Effective Transitions from Public Institutions and Systems

b. SYSTEMS PREVENTION

Enhancing Youths’ Ability to Equitably Access and Benefit from Public Systems, Supports, and Entitlements

c. SYSTEMS PREVENTION

Improving Youths’ Experiences & Outcomes in Public Systems

LIVING WITH PARENTS OR CAREGIVERS

LIVING INDEPENDENTLY

SYSTEM of CARE• Integrated services, Integrated Systems• Coordinated entry• Case management

PROGRAM MODELS• Enhancing family and natural supports• School-based early intervention• Shelter Diversion• Housing-Led Interventions• Preventing Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking

AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS

Enhancing Family and Natural Supports

1

Unfortunately, family is often framed as a problem and as part of a young person’s past.

Early intervention• Case management• Individual counselling• Family counselling and mediation

Casework and Counseling• Case management• Individual counselling• Family counselling and mediation

Assessment• Mental Health• Learning Disability

Group work

What’s Involved?

SCHOOL-BASEDEarly Intervention2

Why do SCHOOLS matter?

Youth Reconnect - Keeping young people in place

Reconnect is an Early Intervention Program• School / Community partnerships

• Students, teachers and families engaged

• At risk youth identified

Program goals•Keeping young people ‘in place’

•Stabilizing living situation

•Supporting young people AND their families

•School engagement

4

Shelter Diversion3

Shelter diversion refers to efforts that support young people and their families

in order to reduce the likelihood that youth will need to stay in emergency

shelters. This means redefining the very role of such shelters.

Shelter Diversion

Housing-Led supports4

Housing-Led supports

Host Homes

Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking

5

“We suggest considering modifications of "Housing First" to maintain fidelity to core principles while better meeting the needs of youth”.

Kozloff et al., (2016) At Home / Chez Soi

Development of the HF4Yframework and program model guide

The importance of developing a response based on the needs of developing adolescents and young adults

Duty to AssistLegislation, Policy and Practice

5

A Duty to Assist

A “Duty to Assist” means that communities are provided with necessary resources and supports by higher levels of government to enable them to fulfill the requirement of providing information, advice and assistance to young people under the age of 25 who are at risk of, or are experiencing homelessness.

A Statutory Responsibility to Prevent Youth Homelessness

A Duty to Assist

A Statutory Responsibility to Prevent Youth Homelessness

• Legislated requirement, State responsibility

• Retool the sector

• Fund prevention programs

• Promise of assistance to youth (13-25) within 30 days

• Place-based youth-centred

A Duty to Assist

A Duty to Assist

Part 6

How do we get there?

to

consider

keyTHINGS

Federal c

c

Indigenous c

Municipal c

1

Provincial / Territorial

Engage all orders of government

2 Systems Integration

Success relies on

Systems Integration

Homelessness Service Providers

Service Integration

MainstreamServices• Health• Education• Corrections• Child

protection

Unusual Suspects• Landlords• Police• Private

Sector• Lawyers

Government and Funders

3 Systems Planning

Community Planning Toolkit

4Lived Experience of Youth Homelessness

Take Account of Diversity and Equity

5 Research & Data

Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab

Phase 1

Questions or Comments?